Healthy soil is the foundation of healthy food. Soil is a living ecosystem that supplies nutrients to the plants and crops it cultivates. Today, there are many issues surrounding how we treat our soil and damage its health properties through different chemicals and fertilizers, which in-turn damages the nutrients in the food we eat. December 4th is World Soil Day, which is a special UN observance to spread awareness about the importance of soil.
The significance of keeping our soil healthy is often overlooked in the common discussions on environmental protection. Today, much of the focus on climate change is on rising water and Earth temperatures, but soil plays a major role in climate change as well. A large quantity of natural terrestrial carbon is located in soil, and its preservation is vital for further avoiding more changes in the Earth’s climate. Soil also affects and prevents damaging floods and other natural disasters, so maintaining its structure is necessary to protect areas from such potentially catastrophic events.
Just like other sources of climate change, maintaining the health and structure of soil is a global effort. As the years continue, it will become more and more important to work together in our global community to spread awareness and tackle these issues at every local source.
By Kelly Williams
Public & Global Affairs/Communications Intern